I tend to use a bowl of water with a plug of seedlings and tease them
apart by using the leaves, if you damage a leaf the plant can make a
new one but if you damage the stem at pricking out size you will kill
or stunt them.

Paul M. Cook wrote:
"Bob F" wrote in message
...
Paul M. Cook wrote:
Planted 3 bunches of basil 22 days ago. In the last 48 hours I have
lost one bunch and another has started to die. What appears to
happen is that the roots die and I see about an inch of the plant
stem at the base turn brown and woody. It happens very quickly.
What could be the cause of this?

It is still too early here in Seattle to plant basil. Basil always
does this to me if I plant it before late May or June. If it isn't
continuously warm where you are, you may be having similar problems.

Hmmm, cold nights perhaps? It's been around low 50s at night. Days
have been 78-82.

During the learning process, I've planted up to 4 times before I got a crop
started. The plants died exactly as you described.

In article ,
"Bob F" wrote:

Paul M. Cook wrote:
"Bob F" wrote in message
...
Paul M. Cook wrote:
Planted 3 bunches of basil 22 days ago. In the last 48 hours I have
lost one bunch and another has started to die. What appears to
happen is that the roots die and I see about an inch of the plant
stem at the base turn brown and woody. It happens very quickly.
What could be the cause of this?

It is still too early here in Seattle to plant basil. Basil always
does this to me if I plant it before late May or June. If it isn't
continuously warm where you are, you may be having similar problems.

Hmmm, cold nights perhaps? It's been around low 50s at night. Days
have been 78-82.

During the learning process, I've planted up to 4 times before I got a crop
started. The plants died exactly as you described.

If they died in the germination trays from white mold, that's called
damping off. The soil should be sterilized first (200°F for 30 min. This
may be overkill but best err on the side of sterility.) Germination
trays should be new or thoroughly sprayed-out and soaked in a chlorine
(bleach) rinse (1/4 cup bleach to 5 gal. water) for 20 min. Rinse with
clean water and they are ready to go.
--
- Billy
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arn3lF5XSUg
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Zinn/HZinn_page.html